


Shuffle the Deck (Leave it to Fate)

by PuppyLove2468



Series: Shuffle the Deck (Leave it up to Fate) [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Fluff and Angst, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I dont know how to keep my formatting on mobile, My First AO3 Post, Or Five in this case, Roleswap, no beta we die like ben, technically Six
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:07:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27296902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuppyLove2468/pseuds/PuppyLove2468
Summary: On the 1st of October, 1989, 43 kids were born seemingly out of nowhereReginald Hargreeves collected 7Allison, Number OneLuther, Number TwoDiego, Number ThreeVanya, Number FourBen, Number Fiveand Number SixThey each had extraordinary powers,Then there was Seven, Klaus, who was just ordinary
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Luther Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Vanya Hargreeves, The Hargreeves Family
Series: Shuffle the Deck (Leave it up to Fate) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1993030
Comments: 7
Kudos: 64





	1. Eimsenkiet (I Want To Be Found)

**Author's Note:**

> Basically my best friend came up with an AU where the Hargreeves got shuffled around, he picked who got what number, im just the one who got too invested and decided to actually write, and draw stuff for it.

Seven was bored.

He could only take so much of practicing alone in his room before he longed for someone to talk to, though he supposed he could talk to himself.

“Hi Number Seven! I’m Number Seven.” He directed at his mirror.

His reflection frowned back at him, “This is sad even for you.” it said, or well, Seven said.

“Yeah, well no one asked you!” Seven turned away from the mirror.

Okay so talking to himself was off the table.

Seven walked over to the door before hesitating, did he really want to get rejected six times, or should he just go back to his guitar.

He glanced toward his reflection, better leave before he went crazy cooped up in here.

He opened the door, and walked over to the one next door, Four’s room, the door was cracked open, so Seven pushed it open a bit more, only to freeze when Four and Six stared back at him.

“Uh-”

“What do you want, Seven?” Six rolled his eyes at him.

“I was just wondering if you guys wanted to hang out?”

“Why would w-” Four tugged on his arm, Six looked back and they seemed to have a silent conversation, or argument, there was a lot of head shaking and weird looks. Seven stood awkwardly in the doorway.

Finally Six let out a tremendous huff and turned towards Seven, “Fine. You can come in.”

Seven swallowed a pill from his medication and sat down. “So what were you guys doing?”

“Not like it’s any of your business but we were talking about training.” Six had this haughty look on his face.

“Oh..” Seven studied the floor.

“Don’t be mean Six.” Four shoved her elbow into Six’s side. “It’s not like training is that great anyway.”

Seven gave her a confused look, he’d never heard anything less than good from his siblings about training, even when he did - it was always another sibling’s fault.

Six seemed to clam up at her words, glaring at the wall. Four seemed to realize what she’d done and tried to retract her statement, “Uh, I mean-” but Six left the room.

“Six! I didn’t mean to bring it up!” Four ran after him, leaving Seven alone in her room.

He sighed and made a mental tally of two.

Seven got up and went to the next room over, Three’s.

But he could hear yelling through the door, Three and Two’s voices.

Seven made two more tally marks in his mind, four.

He walked towards One’s room, maybe she would want to paint their nails or something.

He knocked on her door, “Go away Three!”

“Uh. It’s Seven.”

“Oh. Go away Seven.”

“Ok.”

Five of Six, now to try Five.

Seven made his way toward his favorite brother’s room, not that he really had many options with his other brothers' opinions of him.

He knocked.

“Who is it?”

“Seven.”

The door opened, Five greeted him with a small smile, “You ok?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I can just tell.”

“No one wants to hang out with me.”

“Oh is my name ‘No One’ now?”

“Huh? Oh course not! Wait does that mean-?”

“Yeah, oh course I want to hang out with you.”

Seven launched himself at Five for a hug.

\---------------

Six hated Reginald Hargreeves.

It wasn’t a secret.

Before Reginald Hargreeves made them hurt things Six was fine.

Six would do almost anything to show Hargreeves just how much he hated him, what he did to the creature he used to like.

The thing inside of Six had gotten agitated ever since Hargreeves started using it.

They used to coexist happily, they used to be friends.

(They used to be a they, Six and his thing, he used to think of them as almost brothers, twins, growing up together sharing a body.)

Then Hargreeves hurt them, he made them hurt things.

He twisted everything Six’s friend once was, he made them into a bloodthirsty it.

He made it a nightmare to share a body with it.

It was all Hargreeves’ fault.

He broke them, then tried to reshape them into something awful, something ugly and cruel.

Six couldn’t let anyone see that it almost worked.

(Maybe if Six had been a bit softer, a bit more empathetic, he wouldn’t agree with some of the thoughts that went through his mind, that it put there.

But he wasn’t, Six had always been a bit cruel, at least, towards those outside of his family, and maybe sometimes to them too.)

(Communication had always been hard, even before they became an it, when you just know what someone is thinking, feeling, without trying. Well talking seems like a waste of time, like it’s everyone else’s job to just know, because if Six and his friend could do it, why couldn’t everyone else?)

So Six didn’t talk about it, he didn’t mention that sometimes it felt right, didn’t mention how it scared him, all they knew was he didn’t like to use his powers like they did.

\---------------

Five was weird.

He felt weird.

Like nothing was right.

Like he didn’t belong here.

The feeling only left when he jumped.

When he jumped it felt so right.

Like that in between was where he was supposed to be.

Everytime he jumped it felt like space itself was giving him a hug.

Five jumped a lot.

But sometimes it scared him, that he might get so addicted to the feeling of jumping that one day he might stay in between, that he might not want to go back to the place that he felt so weird being.

That he might not want to go back to his family.

Five tried to always be occupied.

To never think about it.

He tried to bury himself in other things.

Other worlds.

Five loved reading.

Stories of far off worlds, places where he was normal.

Where being weird was normal.

Five wondered if there was a place where he would ever feel right.

Or if only jumping could give him that feeling of belonging.

No matter what he did his thoughts always went to jumping and feeling right.

So he tried to bury his thoughts even further.

His family was the best way to achieve this.

Seven was always a good distraction, even if he didn’t know that, Five liked being around Seven, he was the only one who wasn’t caught up in his own problems.

\---------------

Four couldn’t hear over the screaming.

It was very inconvenient.

Usually it would affect her more, but currently she was trying to listen to Pogo teach about Algebra, or was it Biology? Four couldn’t exactly see the board around the ghosts crowding around her, she probably looked like she wasn’t paying attention, she thought. When in reality she was probably trying the hardest, well aside from Two.

She mumbled into her hands, “Be quieter.”

“What was that, Ms Four?” Looks like she wasn’t as quiet as she thought.

“Um, I was wondering if you could speak up, Pogo.”

“Of course, Ms Four.”

“Thank you, Pogo.”

It didn’t help, she still couldn’t hear him.

She could only really hear people when they were close to her, or when they were her father.

No one drowned out Reginald Hargreeves, not even the dead.

Later as she walked out of class, Six put a hand on her shoulder.

She smiled, he understood her, that she needed to touch people to be sure they were alive, that she was petrified to ask.

“You ok?” He asked her once their siblings had cleared out.

“Yeah, they were just really loud today.” She looked at her mary janes.

Six seemed to struggle with words, but he settled on wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Then he dug through his bag and handed her the notes he had taken for her.

“Thanks, Six.”

He nodded.

0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0

Three was angry.

Two had gotten on his nerves again and they had fought.

Mom had reprimanded them, but no matter how many times she told him not to he couldn’t help but try and punch that stupid look off Two’s face.

He was constantly doing everything he could to please Dad, that was annoying but fine.

But then he tried to make Three do it too, and that was where he drew the line.

Because Dad was awful, he bought them and then thought that meant he could do anything to them.

Thought he could torture them.

Thought he could make Three force his will on others til his voice went out.

Thought he could get away with not giving them names, yet claim them as his.

Thought he could do so many awful things.

Then Two had the audacity to claim Dad knew what was best for them.

Knew what he was doing with their powers when he couldn’t possibly.

It made Three want to grab his brother and scream, get it through his thick skull that this wasn’t normal, that their dad shouldn’t ever hurt them.

He settled for punching him instead.

\---------------

Two didn’t get Three.

Three was always so angry about everything.

Two didn’t understand why.

Why was Three so mad at Dad when he had done so much for them?

Dad was the one who provided everything they had.

Dad was the one who brought them together.

Why was Three so mad?

Sure, sometimes Dad made Two throw things til he could barely lift his arms, sometimes Two sat in a tank of water for hours at a time holding his breath until his fingers were so wrinkly he didn’t think they’d ever look normal again.

But that was all to stop the literal apocalypse.

A little pain was worth it if it meant they could save the world.

It didn’t matter.

They were all fine, they were the only thing standing between the world and annihilation as Dad sometimes said.

It didn’t matter what Three thought, this was their job.

Their purpose.

Sometimes Two felt like he was the only one grateful for all their Dad had done.

Everyone else always seemed indifferent or spiteful.

Meaning almost no one ever took his side in an argument.

It was exhausting.

Sometimes Two felt more responsible for the family than One.

Like he was their leader.

He tried to ignore the feeling, One was the leader for a reason, even if she didn’t really care for the job.

Dad picked her to be leader, so he had to be right, Dad was always right, right?

\---------------

One was in charge.

She liked that, she liked getting to boss everyone around, she liked being considered the oldest.

It was the other stuff she didn’t like.

Like how everyone looked at her like she knew everything.

Like how everyone’s problems were suddenly her responsibility because Dad told her so.

One liked being in charge, but she didn’t like being the leader.

Two didn’t understand, and if she could she’d give him the title in an instant.

But she had to carry the weight of responsibility on her shoulders.

It was her power afterall.

So she made it her business to know others' business.

If they were in an actual school like one from one of her magazines then she would probably be considered a gossip, despite that being Three’s powers.

Four and Six hated her sticking her nose in their business, she learned quickly.

Five was always burying his nose in a book, so she didn’t have to do much involving him.

Three wanted nothing to do with her or Two, the boys’ constant fighting was a large annoyance when her job was to keep the peace.

Seven and Two were the only ones who went out of their way to be around One.

Her and Two could talk about almost anything, sneaking into each other’s rooms to chat well past bedtime.

One and Seven got along in that they both were practically obsessed with the world outside the Academy walls, for very different reasons, One wanted to be normal, she wanted to go to a normal school and have normal friends she wasn’t related to.

One wanted to be normal, but Seven?

Seven wanted to be extraordinary.

He wanted to stand out.

He wanted to wear Mom’s heels, and One’s skirts.

Wanted to do whatever he felt like whenever he wanted.

Wanted to prove Dad wrong

Wanted to feel alive.

One could admire that, though she wouldn’t, couldn’t, ever admit she thought more than nothing towards her little brother

So she feigned indifference and tried not to let the guilt shine through when he looked disappointed at her reaction.


	2. Name Your Mistakes (Watch As They Grow)

Five walked down the hallway, deep in a book, excited whispers passed him as his siblings hurried to dinner, careful as he made his way down the stairs, he didn’t once look up from his book. The story was one set in a distant world where magic was the normal and anything else was weird, it followed a young mage on her quest to learn how her world worked.

It was rather interesting.

Then Seven smashed into him, knocking them down the remaining steps.

“Ow.”

Five just grumbled before helping Seven up and tucking his book into his pocket.

“What are you in such a hurry for? It’s just dinner.”

Seven let out a rather melodramatic gasp, “Five! Do you not know what day it is?!”

Five decided to humor him, “Whatever do you mean Seven?” He said dryly.

“Why it’s October 1st of course!”

Five’s eyebrows raised and he let out a small “Oh!”

“Did you really forget our birthday?”

“I was busy,” he mumbled.

“You were buried in a book.”

“..Yes.”

It seemed like Seven was just going to keep teasing him so Five jumped to his place behind his chair in the dining room.

Seven followed soon after, their Father came in a second after that.

“You are late Number Seven!”

Seven flinched, it seemed like he wanted to say something, probably about how he got there before Dad, but instead he just looked at his feet.

“Do not be again or the consequences will be dire.”

“Yes, sir.”

Seven took his place behind his chair.

“Sit.”

\-----

When everyone was done their Father cleared his throat.

They all looked towards him.

“As you have spent another year honing your skills, and with the Academy’s debut ever approaching, I have deemed it necessary for you to be given more appropriate identifiers. Grace has spent the last week considering the most appropriate names for each of you.”

Five couldn’t believe his ears, names? They get names! Across the table Six mumbled something under his breath, no doubt something snarky and cutting, Five couldn’t care less.

Their father watched impassively as Mom entered the room, her smile bigger, more excited than usual, a subtle difference but one noticeable if you paid attention.

She approached One, where she was sitting between Two and father.

She smiled wide, crouched down to be at eye level and addressed Five’s oldest sister.

“Your name will be Allison.”

One - or Allison now he supposed - who had been grinning wider than Five had ever seen immediately began thanking their Mom, telling her how much she loved it, she left unspoken how much it meant to her, as that wasn’t something to be brought up in front of father.

With an even brighter smile Mom turned to Two, who was trying and failing to suppress a smile of his own.

“Your name will be Luther.”

He thanked her and she smiled warmly at him before going around the table to crouch down next to Three and Four.

Their names were Diego and Vanya, both hugged Mom tight after they received their name.

Then it was Five’s turn, he felt nervous, excited and slightly sick, what if he didn’t like his name?

Mom came up next to him, sensing his nervousness she ran her hand through his hair and told him, “Your name is Ben.”

And oh, yeah, his eyes were watering, but it was fine, he was more than fine actually, he was so so so happy. “Thank you.” She smiled knowingly at him before crossing the table to where Six sat.

Six looked completely unaffected, aside from a vague discomfort, he looked Mom dead in the eye and said “I don’t want a name.”

The room exploded.

“How could you not want a name?” was the general consensus.

“I already have one.” He got incredulous looks.

“It’s Six, my name is Six.” He looked utterly defiant.

Mom just gave him a look of exasperated fondness and responded, “Your name is Six.”

He looked surprised before giving her a small, almost invisible smile.

Seven was looking down at his lap, his eyes were watering and he was biting his lip.

Mom turned to him.

He looked up, surprised, “I get one?” She pulled him into a hug.

“Your name is Klaus.” When she pulled away he was absolutely ecstatic, and was crying tears of joy, he pulled her into another hug.

“That is quite enough, all of you, to bed.”

Everyone was so happy they didn’t even complain that they didn’t get free time after dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The shortest chapter.
> 
> The title is original.


	3. Rumours Only Grow (And We Both Know What We Know)

Diego - He was still getting used to it, Diego! - Diego was getting annoyed with Se-Klaus. Everyday he would pop in and interrupt what everyone was doing, Diego didn’t mind that much, but Allison and Luther did, and as Number Three in all but name, he kind of had to mind, or be pushed back to the higher numbers.

That’s how this all started, Klaus walked into the living room where O-Allison, Luther and Diego were hanging out.

“Hey guys I was wondering if you guys wanted to-”

“Go away Seven- er, Klaus.”

Diego sat there uncomfortable, “But I have nothing else to do!”

“Too bad! Leave us alone.”

“I just-”

As much as denying their little brother made him feel bad, getting Allison and Luther to stop was more important, things tended to get bad if they were left to it.

“Get out of here, Klaus.”

And then something unexpected happened.

“No.”

Klaus was standing up for himself.

“I don’t want to, and just because you guys think you’re better than me doesn’t mean you can just order me around!” He was close to yelling, if Klaus’s noise brought in Mom or Dad they would all be in trouble.

“Klaus, just leave.”

He opened his mouth to argue, clicking heels were coming nearer, so Diego made a split second decision.

“I heard a rumor you left us all alone.”

And he did, but Diego would never forget his heartbroken face.

\-------

Later Klaus cried alone in his room, curled up as far from the door as possible, he had tried - earlier - to leave his room, but the rumor wouldn’t let him go within the same room as his siblings, so he couldn’t get into the hallway.

Ben was lucky, Klaus thought mournfully, he had a fire escape, if one of the others came in here he’d be forced to jump out the window.

Speak of the devil, the doorknob turned.

Klaus dug himself further into the corner, he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist the rumor, but he wanted to at least try.

“Sweetie, are you ok?” Mom’s voice came through the crack in the door, Klaus relaxed a bit, “You’re missing dinner.”

He hadn’t even noticed the time pass.

“..’m fine..” He muttered.

She opened the door a bit more, “You’re sure?”

He nodded.

“Ok, but remember, you can tell me if anythings wrong.”

“Mhm.”

She left a tray on his desk.

\-------

He couldn’t leave in the morning either, so he picked up his guitar and spent the time practicing.

Mom came in again, “Honey, your father isn’t pleased with you for missing breakfast as well, will you please tell me why you won’t come out of here?” She looked so worried.

“I can’t..” He said in a small voice.

“Why not?” She cupped his cheek with one hand.

He avoided eye contact, “.. a rumor.”

Understanding dawned on her, and was that..frustration?

It was gone before he could tell for sure, replaced with her normal vacant smile.

“Well I’ll just have to get that fixed.”

“You can’t.”

“Why not sweetheart?”

“I can’t go near any of them, he said to leave everyone alone.”

Grace hugged him tight, “I’ll figure it out, I promise.”

\-------

She didn’t get the chance, Diego opened the door that afternoon and Klaus succumbed to the rumor and went through the window, breaking his leg from the 3 story drop.

\-------

“I heard a rumor you went back to normal.”

\-------

Diego hadn’t seen Klaus anywhere but class and meals in two days, while usually it was hard to get rid of him, now it was unusually quiet without his presence and the complaints it brought. It made Diego think he had screwed up again, so during freetime that Saturday, he went looking for his brother.

“Klaus?”

He had been in his room, practicing his guitar.

He was also ignoring Diego.

“Klaus, hello!”

He gave him a glance, Diego caught a peek at his thick white cast, he couldn't suppress his wince.

Klaus noticed and with a grin that looked more like a dog baring its teeth than a human expression asked, “You here to sign your handiwork?”

“I-I’m s-s-sor-” Diego took a breath, “I’m sorry, okay!”

“Are you now?” A sarcastic response was still a response, so..progress?

“Yeah! I am! I-I didn’t mean for it to work like that!”

Klaus went back to ignoring him. Yeah, that sounded better in his head..

“N-No, I m-mean I-I didn’t mean t-t-to do that l-like that!”

“I-I mean- I d-don’t know what I mean or-or why I did that. I-I didn’t w-want to get in trou-trouble! B-B-But it sti-still wasn’t o-ok, I shou-shou-shouldn’t use my pow-powers like that..I-I-I just- I’m sorry!”

“You broke my leg.”

Diego just stared at the carpet, “I-I’m sorry.”

“Fine.”

“...thank you..”

“But!”

Diego looked up in surprise, Klaus smirked.

“You have to do whatever I say for a week!”

“What! No way!”

“Too bad! It’s your turn to feel what it's like!”

Diego groaned, “Fiiine.”

Klaus grinned victoriously, “Yes! You can start by carrying me to the living room!”

Diego sighed, picked him up bridal style and made his way towards the door.

“And the crutches!” He grabbed the crutches too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Hamilton, specifically We Know


	4. Beauty Is Pain And There's Beauty In Everything (What's A Little Bit Of Hunger)

Today was the day, the day that was supposed to make everything worth it, every bit of time spent in training, every visit to medical, every trip to the mausoleum, every tear shed, every bone broken, every inch of skin stained with ink, every last bit of suffering, everything.

Vanya was underwhelmed.

She was the lookout, not a bad thing in itself, but even if her powers weren’t combat based, it seemed like a waste to willingly leave out a member.

She was trained like the rest of them, she knew how to incapacitate someone in thirty seconds flat!

Just because she sometimes struggled on the execution didn’t mean she was useless!

Maybe it was because she was the smallest, the weakest, the girl with the useless power.

She had plenty of time to dwell on that thought as her siblings cleared out the front room.

She was called back to the group when the only robbers left were in the vault, she immediately moved to Six’s side, he looked very uncomfortable.

She soon realized why when their siblings urged him into the vault, she tried to protest, but everyone drowned her out.

Twenty seconds later he came out covered head to toe in blood, she saw six newly risin, and extremely gory ghosts follow him.

She gave him a sad look, trying her hardest to ignore the bloody spectors, and they made their way towards the entrance of the bank, single file, number order.

The cameras were blinding, and her face hurt from the fake smile she was forcing, she was somewhat glad she didn’t have to stand next to the smell of drying blood, though she felt bad for Ben and his weak stomach.

\---------

Blood

Blood

So so much blood.

Vanya was avoiding him, she hadn’t spoken to him since the vault, and Six had the sinking suspicion he knew why.

Tentacles ripped apart flesh, tearing them limb from limb.

The ghosts must be horrifying, and he wanted nothing more than for them to disappear for her sake.

But Hargreeves wanted nothing more than for him to keep going, and nothing short of running away could stop it.

Wait a minute.

Running away?

He could do that.

He could find a way to get his siblings away from Hargreeves.

He could get them to run somewhere safe.

The only issue was how?

How could he convince everyone?

How could he pull it off?

How?

He would need to do some planning but maybe he could save his siblings.

Hargreeves was always saying they were meant to save the world, and as sappy as it sounded..

They were his world.

Maybe.

Just maybe.

He could save it.

\----------

The first painting was made a week after their debut.

They all lined up in the living room, all but Klaus.

And they stood there for hours.

Klaus complained about not getting to join or something but Allison was so sore she couldn’t care less. Everyone seemed at least a little annoyed with Klaus’s constant complaining.

\----------

Reporter: This is Amy Brown, here with the Umbrella Academy, would you all please introduce yourselves.

Six children all sit in chairs, the first child, a black girl straightens up in her seat.

Allison: I'm Allison, and I'm the leader! My power is super strength.

Luther: My name is Luther, my power is projectile manipulation and I don't need to breathe.

Reporter: You don't need to breathe?

Luther nods and holds his breath and his nose

Diego rolls his eyes

Diego: I'm Diego and I can get people to do whatever I want by saying "I heard a rumor...

He pauses to let the effect wear off

Diego: Then I tell them what to do.

Vanya is exchanging looks with Six

Diego elbows her

Vanya: Hey! Oh! Oh. Um, I'm Vanya, I see ghosts.

Ben: My name is Ben and I can teleport.

Six: My name is Six-

Reporter: Sorry, six like the number?

Six: Yes, we all have numbers, we only got our names a few years ago, but I didn't want one.

Six looks strangely smug, the others are glaring at him

Reporter: I- Um, what did you say your power was?

Six: Oh, I can summon an eldritch monster out of my stomach.

Reporter: ...Okay! so I have a list of questions everybody's been wondering about your team. Taken from our lovely viewers.

Reporter: What is it like out on the field?

\--

Diego dodged under the counter to avoid the bullets, he heard a yelp and displaced air next to him.

Ben has holding onto a pale Luther’s arm.

“He got grazed.”

Diego looked down at the blood running down his brother’s leg.

Then the sound of flesh being ripped apart reached his ears.

\--

Allison: It's pretty exciting and fun! Though we all are pretty tired after a good mission!

Reporter: It's not scary, going against adults?

\--

Vanya was absolutely petrified, three grown men were charging at her.

She was backed up into a corner curling into herself in hopes of it hurting less.

She shut her eyes as they got within feet of her, she felt like crying, then-

Displaced air, a hand on her shoulder and the smell of o-zone.

\--

Allison: Nope! We all are trained and we can handle it, besides, there's six of us for a reason, we keep each other safe.

As she talks Luther and Diego are elbowing each other over who gets the armrest as their chairs are rather close together.

She elbows Luther rather hard with little to no effort knocking him into Diego, Luther gives up the armrest and puts the hand not holding his nose between his knees.

Diego sticks his tongue out at him.

Reporter: What sort of trouble do you all get into? I’m sure six super powered kids must be a handful.

\--

“Get out Klaus!”

“Bu-”

A knife curves through the air sticking in the wall inches from his head.

“Jesus, I’m out! I’m out!”

\--

Allison: Oh we don’t get into much trouble!

Six: I recall you throwing Ben off the banister this morning because he wasn’t paying attention to you.

Allison: I did not!

Ben: I’m fine, I can teleport, I didn’t get hurt.

Allison glares at Six, as they are on opposite ends of the line, that means she is leaning forward really far to look at him.

Ben: Really guys, I landed on my bed, I’m okay! Please don’t fight!

Luther and Diego took this as a challenge.

The interview didn’t go well.

They were sent to bed without dinner.

\-------------

Six had a plan, it would take a while but he could do this.

He had to do this.

But first he needed Ben, they were going to need funds and only Ben could get them.

Just as Six was about to knock on his brothers’s door, the mission bell sounded.

\--------------

It was midnight.

Ben was exhausted.

Today had been one of his training days, he had been sneaking some extra food from the pantry when the mission bell went off.

That was three hours ago, now, one extremely long car ride, one briefing, and a lot of sneaking later, they were hidden around a fancy muesum.

Apparantly the staff had gotten a tip that they would be getting robbed tonight.

Which meant the Academy was here just in case.

"Pzzt, Blue Eagle here over."

"Shut up Diego, we're supposed to be quiet."

"Oh hush Luther, its gonna be a while before anything happens anyway!"

Ben groaned, he was tired, irritable, and stuck with his somehow wide awake siblings.

This was going to be a nightmare.

\--

An hour later Ben was hiding out in the new technology section, leaning agaisnt a plant and bored out of his mind, his siblings banter the only thing keeping him awake.

Right now Allison and Vanya were in the middle of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer despite it being late May.

Then, finally, something happened.

\--

“What was that?”

“Hush!”

He felt his eyes start to get watery with the need to sleep

Ben felt a hand on his shoulder, an adult’s hand, he jumped across the room on instinct, and spun around.

“We’ve been spotted!” He whispered through coms.

Ben rubbed at his eyes, but they refused to unblur, the person who grabbed him was dressed in all black with his face covered, he was also staring at Ben.

Behind the man, Allison was sneaking up on him, ready to strike, but behind her was another man, with a gun pointed at his sister.

“Allison!”

In the time he had to reflect Ben determined that what happened next was the result of sleep deprivation, desperation, and a very serious overestimation of the power required to jump that far; which was brought on by him being unable to see cleary.

But in the moment all he knew was that he needed to go back.

back

back

back

So he jumped

and he went b̷̡̎̀Ạ̸̢̈́̏̈͆Ć̸̣̝̽̐͌͜ͅk̸̢̡͔̘̇̂͗̃̓͜

back

back

He let himself sink into the embrace of the space inbetween, drifting off a bit, before realizing what he was doing and leaving.

He stumbled, right where he wanted to be, but Allison wasn’t there, and neither was the gunman.

He made it, but they weren’t there.

He looked around himself wildly but there was no one around, just an empty muesum.

“Hello?” He tried the comms, but they were completely useless.

That was when he really took in his surroundings.

Instead of the more recent displays, there were old computers.

Ben checked the name of the section, New Technologies.

No.

No, that didn’t make sense!

He-

He needed to get to his siblings-

He needed-

He needed-

If-

If this was recent-

Then-

Then-

He just knew, he could feel it, he wasn't in his time.

Was this what happened when he let go?

When he let his control slip even a liitle?

He gets chucked back through time?

Well, if-

If he got here in the first place with his powers, then he could use his powers to get back!

So he reached for his power and he jumped.

He focused on the future.

He landed, stumbling, but the technology around him still didn’t match with what he’d originally seen in this exhibit, his exhaustion was starting to wear on him, so he pushed at his power with everything he had left in him,

and he jumped,

straight into the end of the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oop there he goes!
> 
> Title from Scars to Your Beautiful


	5. You Promised Me (You'd Be Around)

“Allison!”

Ben yelled from across the room, totally blowing her cover, they would talk after the mission.

The guy in front of her spun around, ready to punch her, she ducked just as a loud noise went off behind her, a gunshot.

The guy in front of her collapsed, having been shot in the side, Allison gasped and turned, throwing the gunman across the room, knocking him out instantly.

“Everyone check in, I’ve got two unconcious with me.”

Out of habit they sounded off in number order.

“Here, I’ve got one unconsious.”

“Here, I’m with Six.”

“I’m here.”

That was it, no one else spoke.

“Ben? Ben are you on? Has anyone seen Ben? He was with me but he bailed on me and alerted one to my position.”

A bunch of no’s.

“Knowing him, he probably went off to look at some exhibit.”

“While you were being attacked in front of him?”

“I’m already going to talk to him later.”

\--  
But they didn’t.

After the mission no one could find him.

He wouldn’t respond to comms, or them yelling his name throughout the museum.

They even checked the security cameras but couldn’t see him reappear anywhere.

It was like he vanished into thin air, even more so than usual.

\--  
Hargreeves interrogated them afterward, asked them the exact time and place they had seen or heard him, if he had ever voiced thoughts of leaving the Academy. It felt like he thought it was their fault he was missing.

Klaus didn’t find out until breakfast the next morning.

“Where’s Ben?”

“No speaking at the table, Number Seven.”

“Is he hurt?”

“I said no speaking!”

“I just want to know.”

“If you really find yourself unable to keep your mouth shut, then I believe you should know that Number Five went missing last night, and has not since been spotted.

“What!?”

“If you cannot follow a simple rule you do not deserve to sit at this table, you may take your breakfast to the kitchen.”

\---------  
Ten days after his disappearance, Hargreeves declared him gone and started using him as an example of what happens when one lacks control.

The painting was hung soon after.

\----------  
Things were different after that.

One day their brother was there, the next he was gone.

Gone.

Gone.

Never to be seen again.

Some refused to believe it, even going as far as to sneak out and look for him.

They were swiftly caught and punished.

The others either avoided Vanya like the plauge or asked her daily if she had seen Ben.

It made her want to curl up into a ball and cry her eyes out, and she did sometimes.

Months passed.

The others seemed to shun Klaus even more than usual.

Until one sunny day in the courtyard.

Six had joined her in sitting in the grass and making flowercrowns, hers made from bluebell and begonia, strung together with ivy, his made of amaryllis and rhododendron.

Then Klaus approached them.

“Um, can I sit with you?”

“Sure, but why are you over here?”

“Apparantly you two are the only siblings who can tolerate me.”

“Oh.. Want a flower crown?”

“More than anything.”

They sat with each other talking every once in a while for the rest of their freetime, Vanya thought Klaus’s crown of zinnias, hyrdrangeas and yellow tulips was gorgeous.

\------------  
Klaus was usually seen with them from then on, everyday he showed up Vanya dreaded the question, but it never came. He never asked about Ben.

Everyday she tried summoning him before breakfast, but it never worked, so she held out hope.

Hope that he was out there.

Hope that he was okay.

Hope that he wasn’t appearing to her anytime soon.

Hope.

\-----------  
They were fifteen when Six started spiraling.

It started slow, he stayed up a little later working on his plans.

Sneaking from Hargreeves’ vault, saving and scrounging for as much money as possible.

Then he started missing nights entirely, he’d stay up all night, sneaking out and researching, he got more paranoid with where he hid his plans from Mom.

In lew of sleep or caffeine Six ate sugary food, going on the high alone.

Then suddenly no more marshmallows made their way into the pantry and he was cut off.

So he snuck out to Griddy’s and ordered his first coffee.

Things got worse after that.

\---------  
“Six, I don’t know what you’re doing, but you need to sleep more!”

“I’m fine, Vanya.”

“You look like a raccoon.”

“No one asked you Klaus.”

\---------  
“Okay, if I can fast track step five then..”

Six was mumbling to himself in his room.

His stomach growled, but he knew it wasn’t from hunger.

“Shut up.” He grumbled.

Another growl this time acompanied by the strong feeling of no.

The ..Horror.. as his family had taken to calling it, had been growing louder and more defiant for a while now, but the-its - it was an it, not a they, don’t call it a they Number Six, that’s not what it is - usual anger had turned inward recently, blaming its host for the lack of food, both of the normal and bloody variety.

It hurt, he would get terrible stomache aches that left him curling in on himself unable to move.

Vanya walked into his room to him all curled up once, she took one look at him and came back with the pain killers her and Allison sometimes used.

They helped, for a little while.

Then it got worse.

\------------  
They were sixteen when the Horror started refusing to leave.

It was a big hassle and sometimes they had to knock him out to get it to leave but they didn’t think it was as bad as Six knew it was.

The Horror wanted control it wanted free reign, it wanted to get rid of Six.

(Sometimes, when he actually slept, he dreamt of when they were smaller, before they hurt things, when a smaller, happier Six was happy to play with the tentacles that liked to hold his hands.

Sometimes, those dreams were the only memories he had of a Horror before the violence.

Sometimes, he woke up crying.)

Eveything changed when they were seventeen.

\-------------  
It was a normal mission.

It was the middle of December and Vanya was on sick leave.

Diego had broken his arm on the last mission and was resting in the hospital wing.

So only Allison, Luther and Six could respond to the mission alarm.

They had gone to a warehouse thought to house a large drug operation.

As they snuck in Allison had split off to check the other side of the warehouse.

Then they were ambushed.

One moment Six was complaining about the missing team members, the next he’s fighting a bunch of grown men, so, a typical tuesday.

Luther had just finished throwing knives at a bunch of people when he heard a gunshot, the bullet seemed to go in slow motion towards his brother’s chest, and Luther knew what he had to do.

He had only been working on it for a while, curving things he hadn’t thrown was hard, but he had to.

So he reached for his power and he pulled, it’s a real struggle, he aimed for the floor but the bullet was going too fast, or he hadn’t reacted quickly enough or a million other reasons, none of which dilute from the fact that the bullet just entered Six’s foot, he basically just shot his brother in the foot.

Six yelled and a deafening growl drowned out Luther’s apology as the Horror forced its way out of his chest, Luther backed up as far as possible, back to the wall.

He would never get used to the gore his smallest brother left behind every mission they utilized his power, the blood and bits left behind left no doubt to why it was called the Horror.

Pressed against a warehouse wall, splattered with blood and watching a bunch of criminals get torn to pieces was not how Luther planned to spend his tuesday night, but unfortunately, it wasn’t an uncommon occurance.

So Luther just sighed and waited for the violence to stop.

But it didn’t.

Even when the last person was dead, it kept tearing at the remains.

When even those were gone, and it hadn’t left yet, when those tentacles just seemed to be moving with less and less control, Luther got concerned.

“Six?”

His brother turned his head towards him, he looked terrible.

It was like Luther was seeing him for the first time.

The dark color surrounded his eyes almost completely, he looked paler and thinner than he was just months ago, he was far from the usual put-togetherness and professionalism that had always charaterised him.

It was awful.

And he looked terrifyed.

In their entire lives, all seventeen years, not one of his siblings had ever seen Six frightened to any capacity, fear looked so alien on his face.

Luther feared for the worst...

...and he was right.

The Horror, it turned its anger inwards, the same ugly violence that had been unleashed on others since they were thirteen turned towards Six.

And Luther could do nothing but watch.

Every attempt to get closer, to help, even to throw stuff at it was countered.

He tried the comms, but apparently his had gotten broken in the fight, because there was no response to his calls for help.

“Six!” He was desperate now, “Six, I can’t get to you! I-”

\------------------  
Six was in so so much pain.

He heard screaming, unsure if it was his or Luther’s desperate calls.

Then nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

He felt completely numb.

Opening eyes he didn’t know he had closed, Six looked around.

The warehouse.

Blood.

Everywhere blood.

And Luther.

A traumatized Luther.

He was kneeling over the remains of someone, and mumbling to himself.

And-

Was he?

Crying?

Luther was crying, sobbing his heart out, Six went to put a hand on his shoulder, but...

...it went...

...right through.

No.

No that’s not possible.

I can’t-

I’m not-

That’s not-

Vanya

I-

I have to get to Vanya!

The second he thought that it was like he had Ben’s power, he was just there, in Vanya’s room, it was very disorienting.

He heard a mumble from the bed in the corner.

“Hm…”

“Vanya? Can you-”

She rolled over and looked at him in the darkness.

“Six? What are-” She yawned really loud. “What are you doing hear, I thought you had a mission?”

He stared at the floor, ignoring the blood dripping off of him but inexpicably never making a puddle, “Yeah, about that…”

She reached for her bedside table and before he could tell her not to, she flicked on the light.

Her eyes widened almost comically, but there was nothing funny about the situation.

“S-Six?”

“Yeah, Vanya..?”

“Am I seeing things, or- are you-”

“You’re not seeing things..”

“O-Oh..”

She had tears in her eyes, “What- What happened?”

“The thing, it-”

“Oh!”

“Yeah..”

\-------------  
Klaus woke up to noise down the hall, he first brushed it off as his siblings coming home from a mission, but it didn’t sound like three people getting ready for bed, it sounded like one girl crying.

So he got up and made his way towards Vanya’s room, making sure to be mindful of the cameras.

He knocked softly, “Vanya? Are you okay in there?”

No response.

He turned the knob and cracked open the door.

“Hey V?”

She was sitting up in her bed, staring at the corner of the room with a heart broken expression.

“Vanya?”

She turned towards him, surprised.

“Klaus?”

“Are you okay? What happened?”

She started crying again and pointed at the corner, “Six! He- He’s-”

Klaus looked at the corner again, but saw nothing.

“You’re sure?”

She nodded mutely.

Klaus walked up to her bed and pulled her into a hug.

He had no clue what to say.

That’s when they got back from their mission.

\-----------  
Klaus and Diego stood in the foyer waiting for their siblings to file in.

As they waited he filled in Diego on what had happened.

“That’s not funny Klaus, there’s no way that’s true. It’s Six, nothing ever happens to Six.”

Something happened to Six.

Diego listened brokenly as Allison and Luther stumbled through a mission report to Dad, Luther looked haunted, this wasn’t a joke.

Six never showed up.

Just as they were about to confirm it, Klaus stepped in.

“We know.”

“How could you know?”

“Vanya.”

“Oh. Oh god.”

“She’s not doing too good.”

\-----------  
“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?! Why should you be sorry??? It’s not your fault!”

“Yes it is!”

“N-”

“I’m the one who didn’t listen to you! I’m the one who pushed too far, it’s- it’s my fault…I didn’t listen, I-”

“Oh Six.”

She reached forward to hug him, but her hand passed through his shoulder, she pulled away as if burned while Six flinched.

“Let’s not do that aga-”

Tears were once again filling his sister’s eyes.

“No- No! Don’t cry it’s okay, i’m okay!”

“No you’re not! You’re dead!” she sobbed.

\-------------  
Four days after the mission went wrong, the five remaining Hargreeves siblings stood in the courtyard as slushy snow fell from the sky.

Everyone was quiet, whether trying not to cry, or just numb to the world, nobody said a word, until Hargreeves spoke.

“This is all your fault,” he said. “You didn’t train hard enough, didn’t take your mission seriously, didn’t even attempt to save your teammate.” They all heard him say that they didn’t matter to him more than as part of his team. 

Not once did he mention that Six was family. 

Not once did he show any sorrow for a dead son.

They all heard him loud and clear.

They didn’t matter to him.

If things were different, if Six, the one with the loudest rebellion had gone sooner, if Luther had had a reason to ignore him, if Diego hadn’t cared so much, if Allison and Klaus hadn’t been yearning for more, if Vanya didn’t still have her brother telling her this was all wrong.

Maybe.

Maybe.

One of them might have stayed at the Academy.

But things weren’t different.

And they all heard him.

Loud and clear.

‘Get out, or this could be you.’

‘Get out, he doesn’t care about any of you.’

‘Get out.’

And they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Who Knew by P!nk

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if my writing is inconsistent between chapters this is my first multi-chapter fic..


End file.
